Power attachment for pressing machines



Sept 9, 1930. W.-L. GREGOIRE- POWER ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSING MACHINES Filed June 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l .WHl l l l u AI fitter/759 Sept. 9, l 930. w. L. 'GREGOIFE 1,775,427

POWER ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSING MACHINES Filed June 24, 929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M van to)? W/Z 1 MM L. GREGO/Ei 1 Attorney.

' Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STAT-ES i-PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM L. GREGOIRE, F PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR TO BEAVER OIL-OAK & SUIT IANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, A CORPORATION OF OREGON POWER ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSING MACHINES Application filed June 24, 1929. Serial No. 373,234.

My invention relates to :11 ans for applying mechanical power to t e well known pressing machine having a fixed pressing block or buck and a movable element adapted to contact with the first named element and with cloth or a garment between the two to be pressed.

These machines commonly operate by foot or hand power or a combination of them, though some have heretofore been operated by compressed air and steam.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple and positive means of applying power to the movable element in two stages;

15 the first stage being a movement with light,

force that will cause the two elements tocome together, but not with suflicient force tor/inure a workman should his hand or fingers he caught between the two elements, and a second movement with very considerable force that will accomplish the function of the pressing machine, and devices that will so tie and interlock the two movements that it will be impossible in the operation of the 26 machine to reverse the order of the. application of the two forces or to apply the second and greater force until the first one has completely functioned and brought the heads so close that it will be no longer possible for I 30 a hand or 'part of it to be placed betweenthe heads, thus avoiding the danger inherent with all heretofore power operated machines of this character of a hand being-caught between the two blocks subjected to extreme 85 pressure and in connection with a blast of hot steam.

These. objects and others that willbe particularly pointed out in the-subjoined specifications ahd claims are accomplished by the 40 mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. I is a diagrammatic side view of a pressing machine showing the application of my new device, Fig. II is a front view of my new control valve, Fig. III

is'a side view of Fig. II partly cut away to disclose features of its construction, Fig. IV

" shows the operating face'of the valve proper illustrated in Fig. II, Fig. V is the valve seat that the valve proper of Fig. IV works on and showing the several ports and Fig.

VI is the back side or reverse view of the i'alveseat shown in Fig. V.

A cylinder, 7, containing a piston, 8, at-

tached to a piston rod, 9, and having a head, 10, is pivotally supported by a frame mem-' ber, 11, andthe head, 10, is pin-connected M by a pin, 12, to a lever, 13, which operates a movable head, 14; a flexible supply conduit, 15, preferably a hose, is attached to the lower portion of the cylinder, 7, as a means for ingress and egress of. motivating-fluid, preferably compressed air. It will be noted that there are two cylinders shown in the assembly, the one just'designated as 7 being markedly smaller in diameter than the second cylinder indicated by the numeral 16. The indifference in size merely serves as notice that they are intended to exert different degrees of force.

'When compressed air is admitted through the conduit, 15, it will be seen that the piston,

8, will tend to rise and carry its attached parts applying power to the pin, 12, which will in turn cause a movement of the lever,

13, which is pivoted on the pin, 17, tending to bring together the movable head, 14, and the fixed head, 18, with a force directly proportionate by Well known mechanical laws, to the pressure supplied through the conduit, 15, the diameter of the piston and length of levers.

As the piston,-8, rises in the cylinder, 7, and when the two heads, 14 and 18, have been brought together, or approximately together,

the'piston, 8, will uncover a port, 7, in the wall of the cylinder, 7 and permit communication through a conduit, 19,. to the back of the valve,'20, and a flow ofthe motivating fluid through said conduit, 19, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained in detail.

The cylinder, 16, contains a piston, 21, shown in dottedoutline, to which is attached a piston rod, 22, and a piston head, 23, through which is a pin, 24, forming an operative connection with the bell crank lever, 25. The cylinder, 16, is pivotally attached by the pivot lug, 26, to the frame of the machine, 27, and supplied with motivating fluid through the flexible conduit, 28, which provides means for ingress and egress of said motivating fluid. Though it is no part of my present invention, means for returning both pistons to their former positions are diagrammatically shown by the counter-balance weight member, 29, which is pivotally attached to the frame, 27, by a weight arm,.30, a pin, 31, and a double lug, 32. A diagrammatic operative connection between the weight arm, 30, and the head, 10, is shown by the pivot, 12, the head of which projects into the slot, 12.

The bell crank lever, 25, is attached by the pin, 33, to the link, 34, nd the pin, 12', to the lever, 13, forming a toggle joint, and it Will be noted that when the piston, 8, has functioned to the extent of bringing the heads, 14 and 18, together, that this toggle joint connection will be in such position that the piston, 21, will be able to make a very considerable movement in the cylinder, 16, to compass a comparatively slight movement of the head, 14, and thus apply to it a very considerable force, very much greater in fact than the comparative sizes of the cylinders, 16 and 7, and length of levers would seem to indicate.

The valve, 20, is composed of the parts illustrated in the several views, Figs. II, III, IV,

V and VI.

A supply conduit, 20, supplies motivating fluid from any convenient source, and at a pressure commensurate with the required results, which will be largely a function of the diameter of the pistons, 8 and 21. The supply conduit, 20, has direct communication through the channel, 20", to the inlet ports, 20, and flow of the motivating fluid from said inlet ports, 20, is controlled to the two cylinders, 7 and 16, by appropriate movements of the handle, 20 which causes the recesses, 20 and 20, to register with the ports, 20 which is in communication with the conduit, 15, or 20*, which is an exhaust port open to the atmosphere and adapted to discharge the contents of cylinder, 7, on appropriate occasion; 20 is a port that communicates with the flexible conduit, 28, and by appropriate movement of the handle 20 will cause the recess, 20, to cover both 20 and 20 at the same time, or 20 and 20 at the same time, thus providing means for charging and discharging motivating fluid to and from cylinder, 16, for the purpose indicated.

It will thus be seen that when the handle, 20 is placed in one position that a closing movement will take place and the head,"14, will be brought in contact with the head, 18, with moderate force and that an interval of time is required for'this movement. When this function has been accomplished and the port, 7, uncovered, a flow of motivating fluid will pass through the flexible conduit, 19, and actuate the spring loaded piston, 20*, which operates through its piston rod, 20 and the link, 20, to cause a movement or recession of the lock, 20, which unlocks the lever, 20, and allows it to be thrown to the position indicated by the dotted outline and marked HP (for high pressure) from the position where it is shown in full outline and marked LP (for low pressure).

When the function of the press has been fully accomplished and it is intended to discharge all of the cylinders and allow the heads to return to their normally open position and motivating fluid to be exhausted from both cylinders, then the lever, 20, will be thrown to the osition shown'in the dotted outline and des1gnated by X. Then also pressure will be removed from the piston, 20, and the spring will relock the lever, 20.

It is of course possible to arrange these several ports through which motivating fluid flows in numerous Ways so that following the exact routine as described is unimportant. My drawings show a semi-rotative slide valve but a semi-rotative plug valve will function equally well if properly constructed, and a double D slide valve can also be made to accomplish the same result; therefore, I do not restrict myself to the exact construction illustrated in the drawings, but what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

19A pressing machine'having a fixed and a movable pressing element, means for operating the movable pressing element comprisinga cylinder having a piston operatively connected to the movable pressing element, a port in the cylinder positioned to be uncovered by the piston upon movement thereof to effect initial pressure between the pressing elements, a motor operatively connected to the movable pressing element to effect final pressure, control means for the motor, fluid operated stop means to prevent effective operation of the control means, a fluid conduit between the port in the cylinder and the fluid operated stop means, whereby upon the uncovering of the port the controlmeans may be effectively operated to cause the motor to function.

2. In a pressing'machine having a fixed element and a movable element and cylinder and piston means for moving thesaid movable element, of a first cylinder andopiston means operativley connected to said movable element and a second cylinder and piston means operatively connected to said movable element, and normall locked means for controlling said second cylinder and piston means, and a port in said first cylinder positioned to be uncovered by the said first piston to unlock the controlling means for the said second cylinder and piston in the sequence as 1 'head and a movable head and operative lever connections for said movable head, of a plurality of cylinders adapted to apply difl'erent successive degrees of force to said movable I head, normally locked operative means for controlling the second cylinder,.a port in the first cylinder positioned to be uncovered by a 4 contained piston, conduit means from said port to the said lock whereby motivating fluid for unlocking the said locking means may flow from said first cylinder to said locking means for the purpose specified WILLIAM L. GREGO'IRE. 

